NEWS

​Celebrate Dairy Month and discover how farmers cared for their dairy cattle in the mid-19th century versus today. Help mix up grain rations, water cattle, and make butter and cottage cheese in the historic house. Then head to the Farm Lab to explore milk processing today and sample ice cream and cheese made in the Learning Kitchen.

I know the looks you give and the feelings you feel. In a past life – I was that parent too. When my son was in Kindergarten, we received a letter about the room being a “peanut aware” classroom so we had to refrain from bringing anything peanut. I remember feeling angry/annoyed and thinking “So my kid needs to suffer because some other kid has a stupid allergy?” but I still followed the rules.

Fast forward 9 years. A sweet bundle of joy arrived. At about 3 months of age, we started noticing hives developing randomly. Sometimes when we would lotion her after bath, sometimes after eating baby cereal. I also noticed she had what seemed a constant cold for about 3 months. All in all, it had no rhyme or reason really so I couldn’t pinpoint what was going on. One day (actually sitting at pizza barn eating supper) it clicked. SHE IS ALLERGIC TO DAIRY! So, I put a dab of cottage cheese “juice” on her cheek and sure enough - hives. When she was clinically diagnosed – I cried. As you know, there is no cure unless your body outgrows it.

Then the learning curve happened at our house. For example, did you know that if you cut a piece of cheese, and then cut a banana with the same knife – my daughter will break out in hives if she eats thebanana? Or if a child is drinking milk and bites my daughter shortly after, she will break out in hives? Or that a picnic table at a public facility has to be wiped down or she can break out in hives? How about her washing her hands in a sink where someone previously used it with “cheesy fingers?” The faucet is now contaminated and her hands break out in hives. Stupid right? But it’s not just hives, they HURT and they ITCH and then we have to Benadryl her which makes her sleepy and hallucinate. It’s not fair.

We also discovered there is such a thing as “biphasic anaphylaxis.” That means that some kids have a second reaction (thus two epi pens) and if you have a history of it you’re more likely to have it in the future. Guess what my daughter has? You guessed it. Biphasic anaphylaxis. So 24 hours later her throatcloses AGAIN from the first reaction.

I remember still vividly in October, when my daughter was hospitalized. We still cannot pinpoint for surebut it was most likely a food reaction. She got so sick for days and she eventually gave up eating. No fluids would stay in her poor little body. We ended up at Children’s, and along with two bags of IV fluids – she also needed glucose. Her blood sugar levels were down to 47 – which is about where your brain shuts down because there is not enough glucose to function properly and you end up in a coma. Yep. From a food allergy folks.

I would give ANYTHING for her to not have food allergies. She knows that certain things are “owies” andthat she has to ask mommy before she can eat anything. She also knows to advocate for herself by telling other people and kids not to touch her with their cheesy fingers. But it’s flawed. She is 3. And she so desperately sometimes wants to eat “normal food” like mac and cheese and pizza and string cheese.

So why am I telling you all of this? Because I need your help.

Here’s what you need to know. Her allergist had informed us how severe allergic reactions are so much more than just your throat closing like we all imagine it to be, and I wanted fellow daycare parents to be informed. Symptoms include hives, swelling, coughing, vomiting, diarrhea, anaphylaxis, and rash. My daughter has had all of the above. The first time her throat closed, she drank out of a cup with cow’s milk. She started coughing (her throat was actually closing) then she looked pale and vomited so many times in such a short amount of time it was horrifying. Her hives in her mouth and her face closed her up and the wheezing started. That was by far the scariest moment of my life. What I have learned since is that the sooner you give epinephrine, the faster they recover from all symptoms and the longer you hold off, the more damage is caused to their little bodies so the faster you Epi them the better. I also wanted you to know that when letters are sent home from the daycare facility about bringing “safe treats,” it’s not because we want to make everyone’s life miserable. Seriously. I love chocolate too. It’s because it helps keeps my daughter safe. And when you to bring in treats that do not follow the regulations: now my daughter is home, I am missing work and income, because she is vomiting still, hours later.

For the parents who listened – even if it was with a crabby attitude like myself years before.. THANK YOU. There are few places I can take my daughter. Knowing she is safe in her home and her daycare are about the only places I can try to control. My daughter’s life is literally in your hands. This is real stuff folks. Her allergy albeit unwanted is real and it can and WILL kill her if something happens. The saying “it takes a village” is more applicable than what one might think. My daughter NEEDS your help and cooperation in order to simply stay alive. Thank you for listening and understanding.

If you had asked me a few months ago what my mornings were like, I would have told you I dreaded them and that they were the worst part of my day. They included me most likely raising my voice at some point, tears from one if not both of the kids, us being late and almost always me feeling guilty on the drive in because of how the morning went.

One morning in particular my youngest looked at me and said "You don't like me anymore"? It was that morning as I was driving in and crying that I decided that things needed to change. I started searching the internet, Pinterest and blogs trying to find a solution. I found so many great ideas and it was so hard choosing which ones I wanted to try and implement.

1. BedtimeI am "That Parent" my kids both have TV's in their rooms. They fell asleep to the television. It was so much easier when I was tired and wanted some down time. My kids never really had a set bedtime!

I sat down and jotted down what I would like our evening to look like and came up with a time that would get me some down time at night and would not find them laying awake for an hour. I needed this to work so having them lay for a long period of time would result in them getting out of bed numerous times which in turn would frustrate me and then who knows.

8:00pm was the time I chose. They would get 30 minutes of book time. The book time allows their little bodies time to relax, setting us up for an easy lights out. Okay, maybe not easy but easier than if I just threw them into bed and shut the light off. I also do a lot and I mean A LOT of counting down so they know what is coming.

We have transitioned to no TV bedtimes nicely.

2. Preparing The Night BeforeMuch of our previous mornings consisted of my children wanting to pick out their clothes. My youngest wanting to get everything himself and my oldest wanting to choose her clothes herself. This usually meant that we would go through 10 outfits which none matched or there were for the wrong season (shorts in 30 degree weather). Currently we just pick out the night before but for those of you that are ambitious and want to prepare for the week, here is an idea fromThe Boy's Store Blog.

In addition to choosing clothes the night before, we also pack backpacks and making sure that we have everything needed the next day.

3. Take Time For YourselfI don't know about you but when I get mommy time, I am in a much better mood. I decided to get up 15 to 30 minutes early. Personally, I make a cup of coffee and take some time to go through my devotion app. The one that I like is calledDaily Devotional for Women. I love this app, it has daily prayers, quotes, bible verses and more!

No matter what you choose to do in those few short minutes whether it be, a devotion, watching the news with a cup of coffee or working out - do it for yourself.

4. Make Waking Up PleasantI don't know about you but I don't like waking up to buzzing alarms, a bright light popping on or someone yelling at me to wake up. I would love to be able to jump into bed and snuggle them awake but with loft beds it really isn't an option. I have been putting on music in the morning. My youngest still needs a 5 minute snuggle in the morning on the couch when he wakes up. I have built that into my morning. I just remind myself that someday he won't want mommy snuggles.

5. Let Them Know What Is ExpectedI have made a "Getting Ready" board. I got inspiration from The Crafting Chicks and created a board that worked for us with the things I needed completed in the mornings to get out the door. The love being able to move their magnets and get "done" first. Plus, I am able to get myself ready during this time as well instead of barking out orders.

6. Count DownI am big on counting down. I give them a heads up when we have 10 minutes, 5 minutes and 3 minutes when we need to start getting our stuff on. Most of the time these days they are in the car waiting for me by the time I walk out to the garage.

7. Reward ThemIt doesn't need to be anything big but I give them an extra 15 minutes of screen time. It's not really extra because I have built it into the amount of screen time I actually want them to have.

Price – I have heard from many mom’s centers are just too expensive, but are they really? I have two points I want to make about cost, so stick with me! A home daycare may seem cheaper, however, take into consideration overall spend. Here’s one of your scenarios: Your in-home provider needs to have a sick day for herself or maybe her own children. Let’s guess that may amount to 4 days a year (likely more) that is cost out of your income and money out. If you make $16 an hour those 4 days she must take costs your family $512, not including the day you will likely have to pay her for anyway even though it was HER sick day! If that is the case let’s figure you pay $30 a day x 4 days that’s $120. $632 a year minimum! Divided that over 12 months and that may be the difference in center vs. home depending on the community you reside. Add those 4 days you must take off to your sick days, your kids sick days... and will you still have a job? Next, many in home daycare's do not give vacation days. When they or your family takes vacation days YOU still pay. Add those dollars out to the above and I bet you have your in-home cost covered, possibly plus some.

Safety – Did you know that 60% of daycare deaths occur in an in-home setting? I don’t believe I need to say more, but I will. Do you know who is coming in and out of the home when you are not there? Probably not. Centers offer door entry passwords so every entry is accounted for.

Documentation – I am consistently signing something. I know day in and day out the complete breakdown of the day. If I question something everyone is an advocate for me to find out what I am asking.

Consistency - You will know Monday-Friday you have childcare, whether someone is sick or not your daycare center coordinator has your back. You will not need to call in due to sickness, unless it’s your child. At a center, several employees are available to watch the kids, and to watch the other employees. Centers are single purpose organizations, meaning their only job is to care for the children at the center. Side note: Centers are usually open earlier and close later.

Socialization – In a center your child in sectioned by age range ensuring your child is interacting with kids of their own age. This is important because learning from older children sometimes goes over well, but a center insures safety in this respect.

Structure - Children develop best when they know what is next. Expect most centers to scheduled have play times, craft times, reading times, lunch, breakfast and snack times, bathroom times, nap times, and so forth. Allowing your child to know what to expect in what’s coming next. Different activities around the same schedule. Did you know that statistics show 34% of an in-home providers day consists of the day doing their own household needs, such as laundry, paying bills, caring for their own children?

For the Love of Children – I personally found it very difficult to determine which home provider what merely a home care provider because she wanted to stay home with her own children, not because she loved and wanted to care for others. Something I find interesting about childcare centers is ladies that work for centers many times could go and flip burgers for more money, but to me that tells me that this isn't just a job for them. They are at a center because they want to be. <3 in their work.

Education - Something you may not know is in the State of Minnesota head teachers at childcare centers need 16 semester credits of approved courses. Sciences and math do not count. You will find teachers from the center you choose have sociology, psychology, child development courses and so much more. Your center teachers also need a certain amount of experience hours that fluctuate between 1040 hours and 4160 depending on the schooling or degree. This doesn’t end there, full-time teachers and aides need 16-42 hours of continuing education hours each year as well.

Making Your Experience Personal – I have been told home daycares feel more personal or like a family. I believe the experience is what you make it. I enjoy getting to know the ladies taking care of my children, you are the one that controls how much you want your provider to know outside of the care they provide. Truth is we are all people, we all enjoy engaging with others to a certain point. When someone spends time with your child every day they learn to love and care for your child(ren). Take time with them and they will take time with you.

Sickness – Are daycare children exposed to more sickness? Yes, there are studies on this but many do not hone down to in-home vs. centers. Many focus on exposure overall daycare's. Typically, it boils down to stay at home vs. daycare. Either choice has its consequences. Exposing a child to viruses at young ages means having a sick child at a time when airways are tiny, and symptoms such as diarrhea can dehydrate. For older children, frequently staying home sick could negatively affect their learning. I choose to build immunities.